American Muscle Cars From The Collection Of Jay Soneff, Mostly Mopar, Will Be Auctioned June 10th

By Author: Yvette VanDerBrink
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More than 80 American classic automobiles from the collection of Jay Soneff – a dedicated car collector and owner of Soneff Master Garage in Denver – will be sold without reserves on Saturday, June 10th, online and live at the Soneff-owned warehouse located at 3825 Grape Street in Denver, starting at 10 am Mountain time. Online bidding is via Proxibid.com.

Most of the cars will be Mopar (Dodge an d Plymouth) muscle cars from the 1960s and ‘70s. These will include originals, restored cars and project cars. The auction will be conducted by VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC, based in Minnesota. “There is something for everyone, from a survivor 1970 Super Bird to multiple Mopar project cars,” said auctioneer Yvette VanDerBrink.

VanDerBrink added, “This very special auction features many rare and hard-to-find Mopars and Mopar project cars, including multiple Coronet R/Ts, Road Runners, Super Bees, Chargers and many more. The collection has everything from survivors to project cars – a car lover’s dream.”

While the vast majority of cars will be Mopar, the auction will also feature AMX, Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, ...
... Oldsmobile, Hudson, AMC and Jeep. “Jay was raised in a family that appreciated the automobile,” VanDerBrink said. “His Dad was into cars and Jay was raised around Hudsons and appreciated their style and performance, but it was the Mopar muscle that grabbed his attention.”

In addition to the 1970 Super Bird survivor car (meaning one that’s never been re-painted) with less than 57,000 miles, other Plymouths will include two beautifully restored 1969 Road Runners (one convertible, one hard-top); five other 1969 Road Runners; a 1971 and 1972 Road Runner; a 1970 and 1972 Satellite; a rare 1963 Sport Fury convertible; and a 1959 Fury two-door hardtop.

Then there are the Barracudas, arguably the most desirable of all the muscle cars from the era. Offered for bid are a 1967 Barracuda convertible; a 1968 Barracuda Type S coupe; three other 1968 Barracudas; a 1969 Barracuda S convertible; a 1969 Barracuda Type S coupe; three 1968 Barracudas; a 1970 Barracuda; a 1972 ‘Cuda; GTS’s, GTX’s, and two 1971 Plymouth Dusters.

The Dodge offerings will be no less impressive. These will include 1970 and 1971 Challenger convertibles; a 1973 Challenger; a 1970 Challenger; a 1971 Charger R/T survivor car; a 1970 Charger RT/SE; 1967, 1969, 1970 and 1972 Chargers (the ’72 painted Petty Blue); a 1968 Charger Coronet 500; two 1969 Super Bees; and three 1968 and two 1969 Coronet R/T’s.

Other Dodges will feature a 1969 Coronet; two 1967 Coronet R/T’s; a 1972 Demon; a 1969 Dart GT; a 1963 Polara convertible; a 1969 Dart Swinger; and more. Ford will be represented by a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 project car; a 1972 Mustang Mach 1; a 1980 Pinto wagon (famous for its gas tanks that burst into flames when hit from behind); and a 1983 Mustang 5.OHO convertible.

General Motors (Pontiac/Chevrolet/Oldsmobile) will also make an appearance, with a gorgeous 1960 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop; a 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air sedan with a 396 c.i. V-8 engine; a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS coupe project car; a 1976 Pontiac Trans Am 455 HO; a 1966 Oldsmobile Jet Star two-door hardtop; and an original Pontiac Bonneville Salt Flats racer.

The Hudson/AMC/Jeep offerings will include a 1954 Hudson Hornet Twin H Hollywood coupe; a 1940 Hudson Country Club 8 sedan; a 1946 Hudson Super Six coupe; a 1953 Hudson Hornet Twin H sedan; a 1969 AMC Javelin SST coupe; a 1982 Jeep Scrambler pickup; and a 1974 Jeep Wagoneer Cherokee Edition. For pictures and more info, visit www.vanderbrinkauctions.com.

Jay Soneff has been into cars ever since he can remember. “When I was three years old I could tell the make and model of every car on the street,” he said with a chuckle. Cars are in his DNA. He got it from his late father, named John, who ran a parking lot business, did cars on the side and in the ‘60s bought a big parking garage that was used as a general automotive repair shop.

Father John’s first car was a 1932 roadster he bought while in high school. His best friend’s father owned a Hudson dealership, and that’s what got him deep into Hudsons, a love affair he passed along to his son. Young Jay’s first car was also purchased in high school: a 1927 Ford ‘Bucket T’ street rod, with J-2 three-deuce setup, Olds motor and Lincoln/Zephyr transmission.

He eventually traded that car for a 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, a swap that got him and his father to thinking: why not start a business dedicated entirely to classic American cars, with an emphasis on muscle cars from the ‘60s and ‘70s? Before long Soneff Master Garage was born in Denver, and today it remains as one of the premier dealerships for rare, classic American cars.

Growing up in the muscle car era, young Jay spent a lot of time at Bandimere Speedway for Friday night drags and at 16th Street downtown Denver for the Saturday night cruise. When he rebuilt that first 426 Hemi for a GTX convertible, he was hooked for life. That also was a factor that led to him and his father to form Soneff Master Garage, where they worked side-by-side.

One Saturday not long ago, while working at his shop, Jay got a call from a man claiming to be the comedian and legendary car collector Jay Leno. “At first I thought it was a prank,” he said, “but then I recognized the voice. He said he was in town to do his act and wanted to stop by and say hello. I told him I’d come pick him up at his hotel.” Leno said, “No, I’d rather walk there.”

So a little while later, Jay Leno comes strolling in, with his trademark giant chin and shock of white hair. “He couldn’t have been nicer,” Soneff said. “He took me to lunch, gave me tickets to his show that night and even spotted a car he wanted. “The car he asked about wasn’t for sale, so I had to tell him no,” Soneff recalled. “But it was great meeting and talking cars with Jay Leno.”

In addition to the more than 80 cars in the June 10th auction, Jay has around 50 other cars that won’t be sold. He said cars are a passion, and a source of income, but his main bread and butter comes from his real estate investments – downtown Denver parking lots, apartment buildings and other properties. “As for cars, my philosophy has always been to just enjoy them,” he said.

Jay also stressed that now would be a perfect time to invest in a project car, what with the value of the completed projects skyrocketing and the cost of restoration materials such as sheet metal and the like very reasonable at today’s current prices. “In the case of the muscle cars pretty much everything you need in terms of material is readily available, making restoration easy,” he said.

An open-house preview will be held the day before the auction, on Friday, June 9th, from 10-6 Mountain time, at the Soneff-owned warehouse in Denver. Masks are recommended but not required. For more info about the sale of the Soneff Master Garage collection, consisting of more than 80 mostly Mopar muscle cars from the 60s and 70s, visit www.VanderBrinkAuctions.com.

About VanDerBrink Auctions, LLC:
VanDerBrink Auctions specializes in collector car parts auctions, older salvage yard liquidations, auto related items, antique tractors, estates and private collections- conducting auctions of all kinds. We also have a proven track record in selling farm land and other real estate at auction. Yvette VanDerBrink, Owner/Auctioneer, formed the company in 2001, after a prophetic message from Minister Tom Stammon. VanDerBrink Auctions is a faith-based company and this makes every auction a mission. To learn more, visit http://www.vanderbrinkauctions.com.